Living at the Edge of the World – Summer

Papala Island Adventure, #3

by

S.J. Barratt

Narrated by Gill Mills

Environmental bad actors and a possible sale of the small, isolated island threaten the homes of the twins' family and friends.

Living at the Edge of the World – Summer is the third book in author S.J. Barratt's Papala Island Adventure series, and in this adventure, the disregard of Mother Nature and her creatures and the rumored sale of the tiny, remote island in the Scottish Shetlands threaten the homes and lifestyles of the twins' family and friends, who have made the island their home for generations. When tween twins Timothy and Tabitha Brown return to Papala Island for a much-anticipated summer break, they and their friends discover the ocean is being polluted with trash by not only visitors but also islanders who know better. A mysterious sealskin is washed up with the debris, and the local legend demands that the finders must get the skin back to the selkie that lost it or suffer the consequences. 

Readers are returned to Papala Island, a small island on the far reaches of Scotland's Shetland Islands, where Tim and Tabitha have returned to spend their summer break with their Great-uncle Tamhas. While Tim is anticipating all the opportunities available to expand his knowledge of life and the island, especially the local Puffin population, Tabitha looks forward to reconnecting with the friends she made during their earlier sojourn. 

The plot is exciting and full of local lore and nature. Readers who enjoy stories with a lot of interaction with animals will find themselves right at home among the pages. I really enjoyed the selkie legend and the related parts of the story, as well as the history of the groatie buckie shells and the search for the hagstones, rocks featuring a complete hole through the center. 

Gill Mills narrates the audiobook, and her performance really brings the twins, their friends, and their family to life. I clearly imagined all the characters and the story's excitement and emotions. 

I recommend LIVING AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD – SUMMER to middle-grade readers and listeners, and for reading aloud at home, in the classroom, or at after-school programs. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Silver Dagger Book Tours.